“I am studying the interaction of light and materials on extremely small scales to make nanomachines. Being too small to grab and position, nano-objects are difficult to handle and to control. My research focuses on the development and characterisation of soft plasmonic nanodevices, which can expand and contract on the nanoscale. Combining temperature-responsive polymers with gold nanoparticles enables optical control of objects much smaller than light. These active particles exhibit fast, reversible mechanical actuation on the nanoscale with a remarkable pressure over 100 psi – enough to drive nanomachines.”